Conference News: GSMA Series Update; GHC CFP; Conference Board Convo
Global Mobile Events: The GSMA just competed one of their most successful MWC events to date with more than 85,000 visitors in Barcelona last month. Following the conference, they announced that their Mobile 360 series will kick off 16-17 May with the M360 Eurasia in Baku. And this year they have a new Mobile 360 event in their line up! The first-ever M360 UK, which will be focused specifically on Industry & Security, will be held in London from 11-12 July. In addition, M360 LATAM will return to Mexico City on 31 May-1 June; M360 Asia Pacific is headed back to Seoul in September; M360 MENA in Riyadh in November; and they will host a second M360 UK in November – this one focused on Connectivity for Good.
If You Can (Virtually) Make it There: BizClick Media will be bringing its virtual events to the US audience for the first time this year. While most of their conferences are held online, they are typically geared towards a UK or European audience, held in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). In 2023, the conference team will host three events in Eastern Time, utilizing more US-based speakers and with content relevant to US audiences. Sustainability Live New York will be held virtually on 19 April, Fintech Live New York, will follow suit on 3 May, and Procurement & Supply Chain Live New York will happen on 28 June.
Speaking Opportunity: Grace Hopper Celebration/GHC (26-29 September; Orlando) is one of the most notable events designed for women and non-binary people working in technology, and for good reason – they don’t call it a “celebration” for nothing. Now through 26 April, anyone with technical expertise or actionable best practices to share can submit a topic proposal within one of 14 tracks, including AI, data science, DEIB, open source, and security. GHC really does mean anyone, encouraging speakers of all levels, prior experience, and background ranging from students, interns, early-, mid-, or senior-career, up to entrepreneurs/founders. Our advice? Get specific and avoid “women in STEM” stories that merely scratch the surface. And note that each speaker candidate is limited to making two submissions.
Conference Organizer Q&A: We recently asked Amy Armitage, Program Director for The Conference Board, about the impetus behind one of their newest events: People 2030, which will run 2-3 November in NYC. Amy – who is also programming TCB’s Leadership and Coaching Conference and Strategic Workforce Planning & Intelligence Council in 2023 – shares the thinking behind the new event and more on her programming philosophy below.
Speaker Strategies: You mentioned that the idea for People 2030 came out of an idea from or conversation with your chief economist. Can you tell us about how and when you decide to produce a new event or topic?
We strive to create events that provide valuable insights about “what’s around the corner” for our members, along with highlighting next practices and business impact. Research, market data, business outcomes, and thought leadership inform the topics we choose. Our events are less about finding the answers than about asking the right questions to inform decision-making and people investments. We work to create powerful conversations, communities of practice, and “ah-ha” moments. And to have a little fun.
Speaker Strategies: What is the most important trait of a good speaker?
A good speaker has passion for what they do and the contribution they are making both to their organizations and the broader society. In short, they care. And that caring is informed by understanding trends in the marketplace, the economy, and their own business strategy. A good speaker in the human capital area is often addressing a very real challenge such as workforce and business sustainability, engagement, workforce equity, and building a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. Yet they also create an element of fun, surprise, and audience interaction.
Speaker Strategies: What is the most important piece of a successful presentation abstract or topic description?
A good description engages the reader’s curiosity. This might be through an interesting metaphor, data, or fun fact. It makes the reader want to learn more about the topic and it often hits the mark of addressing a challenge that the attendees are working on or thinking about.
Speaker Strategies: What do you love most about your job?
I like working with a talented team at The Conference Board who work to support each other and create a great experience for our members. I also love the constant learning about “what’s next” and getting to interact with thought leaders and “doers” – those people who are acting on market opportunities, while also understanding stakeholder needs, market risks, and data-based practices.
Coming Up Next Week: The goal behind the Women Impact Tech series is to provide rising and leading women working in technology with new skills, the opportunity to connect with likeminded people, and facetime with progressive companies attending who are committed to diversity and inclusion. The Women Impact Tech program will be held 21-22 March at Pier 27, part of San Francisco Embarcadero. In New York on the evening of 21 March, WSJ Women in the Workplace is already sold out but will convene C-level executives, board members, thought leaders, economists, advocates, and public policy figures. Game Developers Conference/GDC runs 20-24 in San Francisco, offering a week-long celebration of the art, craft, and business of game development. Financial Services-Information Sharing and Analysis Center – or FS-ISAC, as it’s known by its acronym – kicks off their annual conference 19 March in Denver that explores critical security threats facing the global financial services sector. The 2023 agenda also examines how to build a diverse workforce and secure the supply chain. Lastly, Adobe Summit will be held as a hybrid event this year, with both live and virtual session spanning 21-23 March, preceded by a preconference portion of the event fully in-person in Las Vegas.